Games Industry International has gathered together a group of analysts to discus Nintendo’s recent fiscal report and the company’s move to appoint Satoru Iwata as CEO of the North American division. David Cole of DFC Intelligence described Nintendo of America’s marketing as being a “disaster on every single level.” Cole then went on to say that “they forgot Marketing 101 for the Wii U” and that “a change in execution was long overdue.”
“Nintendo of America’s performance the past couple years has been a disaster on almost every level. Much of this was due to lack of execution on basic stuff like product marketing. They forgot Marketing 101 for the Wii U and no product could have done well without basic marketing support. Clearly a change in execution was long overdue. The damage done is enormous but there is the possibility of a turnaround. The fact is that the general public is not really aware the Wii U even exists so it is an opportunity to almost start from scratch.”
Can you please stop posting what “analysts” say? They have absolutely no bearing on Nintendo “news”. It’s just their analyses, and usually, they prove to be wrong in 6 months.
Nonstop ‘news’ stories of analyst posts are why I rarely come here any more.
Then how would you know the post are “nonstop”, if you never come here anymore? Complain about something that does pertain to this article please.
He CLEARLY said rarely, not never. Read before you post please.
Please, forgive the error. Either way why complain about that? It’s news that has something pertinent said about the Wii U and Nintendo as a whole and it was posted to a Nintendo News site… Sooooo… that would mean that it is news and it was posted in the correct place. That’s all.
How is it news? It’s just some guy’s analysis. I don’t want an analysis. I want to know what happens and when.
NEWS: Wii U doesn’t sell well.
NOT NEWS: Nintendo’s marketing team is dumb.
Big difference. I’m not here for opinions, I’m here for news.
This is a pointless argument. In markets, such as housing, commodities and the like; analysts are the ones that give “news”. This analyst was informing people of the situation, so that investors can make enlightened decisions based on what he has said. It is not news for the general public, it is a specialized type of news, but it is news non-the-less. Anyway, I’m done debating what is and isn’t news with you… doesn’t this seem like it’s somewhat ridiculous for us to be arguing about? Let’s just agree that this “news” isn’t for you and I will gladly agree with you that this isn’t “news” according to everyone? How does that sound to you?
this, and these so called analys dont even consider sony situation “disaster”.
It´is because because nobody give a damn about Sony, Nintendo is the important one.
Indeed, Nintendo need to return to the 90’s Marketing ways
no way by been the bully nintendo was back in the day 3rd party will find another excuse not to support wii u. nintendo is trying to be friendly to dev not bully them.
I’m not talking about been bully with 3rd party, Im talking about commercial:
That makes me want to play Paper boy again! Haha!
That is the effectiveness of those commercial, Nintendo need to do some of those again
No argument there.
Well…
I really agree
WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE TREND WHERE ALL WEBSITES GETS 100000000x BIGGER?!
MNN is now one of them now. It is so damn ugly.
hits man
they do it for smartphones and tablets
Don’t see why people are nagging about analysts; the guy isn’t wrong.
Nintendo’s marketing for Wii U has been nigh nonexistent, perpetuating the confusion as to what it even is. It’s very easy for the uninformed masses to think that it’s a new controller for Wii that costs a bomb, for example.
I couldn’t agree more with the analysts
This time the analysis is spot on. Now they REALLY have the heat turned on them. They really have their work cut out for them.
Forgot Marketing 101 ?
That game isnt even out yet!
>_>
I see what you did there!
Oh SNAP! hahaha
Really…? How long did it take you to come up with that one, genius?
…
You’re trying too hard and it shows. Only someone with the IQ of a potato can find that post amusing. >_>
I was confused as well until I read the article…
the only commercials i remember during these years are the wii commercials n kid icraus uprising. mainly cuz kid icarus’ commercial was showing up on youtube
@Nick. This was a pretty spot on analysis. They did forget marketing for the console… Totally! Restructure is what nintendo’s marketing needs big time!
Restructure is what Nintendo management needs.
Agreed!
My friend knows about the Wii, he didn’t knew there was such a thing as WiiU. I had to tell him it was the Wii2. I still think Nintendo should have gone with a new name to differentiate the system.
Yeah, choosing to stick with the Wii monicker really kicked the marketing area in the ass! If they had just called it the Wii 2 there would have been zero confusion about the thing being the successor to the Wii 1, but alas, they chose the idiotic path of adding U and not 2! The name Wii was bad enough why continue down that path? Because the name invokes fits of compulsive buying in parents looking to plug their children into the teet that is a video game, just to get them off of their back for a little while. While I am a parent of 2 young children, I buy video games for myself more than for my children; so the name to me was just a dumb choice in the first place… even on the original Wii! Should have kept revolution, because that’s what it caused in the industry. These are just my 2 cents and inflation is making them drop in value ;)
The system update isn’t out yet.
Seems like it is not coming today.
I bet it will be there on Sunday.
Stuff like this too. What is going on up there?
Still might be able to squeeze it in today but then again if not there is always tomorrow but i still want it. >3> XD
I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it.
I live in Germany. I am 6 hours ahead.
So when I got home from school at 1:30pm it was 7:30am in America.
So I have to wait for another 6 hours till it is 1:30pm in America.
“Nintendo of America’s performance the past couple years has been a disaster on almost every level. Much of this was due to lack of execution on basic stuff like product marketing. They forgot Marketing 101 for the Wii U and no product could have done well without basic marketing support. Clearly a change in execution was long overdue. The damage done is enormous but there is the possibility of a turnaround. The fact is that the general public is not really aware the Wii U even exists so it is an opportunity to almost start from scratch.”
I agree with all of this 100%. All factual. Can’t get anymore clear and concise than this. He wasn’t arrogant or overbearing like Pachter or some other idiot. He just told the truth. Slowly but surely people are starting to come around to the fact that Nintendo is spinning out of control based on self-induced chaos. There is no reason or excuse for any of this. They had everything in the bag and blew it. The Wii U can still be a profitable system, but I think any chance of them winning this console war is out the window.
An analyst that actually said something sensible. Now this is more like it. Not pachter.
Alba, Sickr and butterfly your layout is competing with EA, billy, netron and the other trolls for worst design of anything.
Well, I agree. A lot of people I talk to who know of the Wii have no idea what Wii U even is. I think they don’t care, they’d rather not invest up front as they have the cockiness that their system will sell no matter what based on their 1st party titles, which is partially true.
Can’t argue there. Nintendo’s marketing for the Wii U sucks.
As much as I like my Wii U, and dislike these analysts, I have to somewhat agree. While most core gamers are aware of gaming information, because gaming is our hobby. I think the challenge for all companies is to make the causal audience aware of their new product, and why they need it. This is why Nintendo is reorganizing it’s business. Plus, this is why Sony and Microsoft are announcing their consoles before E3. I do feel come this Fall, most people will know the difference between a Wii and Wii U. Just like they’ll know the difference between a PS3 and PS4, and the difference between a Xbox 360 and the next Xbox.
i think you will find that Nintendo hasn’t marketed the WiiU or even the 3DS for that matter.
I see plenty of commercials for 3DS games that are pretty good.
I agree but i also understand that they need something to market whit and i mean games.
Nintendo tried to rely on word of mouth with there marketing like they did with the Wii U and it backfired. They relied on the net to creat a buzz but it backfired..
If they want to market the system they need to put a street team together in every city and have many E3’s go to the mall and set up about 40 units with different demo games and let people play with the system in every city, they need to go to sporting events and set up systems. i myself am in chicago and they sale out every home game this is an oppertunity 82 days a year to get the system into peoples hands. I remember competing in the madden turnament back in the day at Mccormick place there were thoudsands of people there.
Also where are the TV spots with good commercials?
All I am saying is they need to bring the pain in the next few months.
The difference is the Wii had Wii Sports. It was a killer app that had everything you need to explain what the Wii was. There is no such game for the Wii U. So word of mouth was nearly impossible. Of all the Wii U games I’ve played so far, the only game were the touchscreen didn’t feel like a nuisance was NFS:MWU Everything else the touch screen kinds gets in the way.
I guess NintendoLand works well too but it has no lasting appeal. To be honest it feels more like a shovelware title.
I have to disagree with you on the Nintendo Land thing. I have the game and got it with my Wii U in November. It wasn’t until recently when playing it with my nephews that I understood the “draw” of the games in it and they do a great job of conveying some of the possibilities of gameplay that the Wii U can offer. It’s no Wii Sports, but it is a good tech demo game and I think if it was bundled with both SKUs and they lowered the price of each SKU by $50 it would sell like hot cakes! If they put Nintendo Land in the demo kiosks in stores the console would sell even better. To truly understand how much fun and how innovative the console is you have to play multiple different things on the Wii U, otherwise the appeal just isn’t visible on the surface. Even if the kiosks had a limited Nintendo Land demo in them that would draw more people in and boost sales. Put Mario Chase, DK’s Coaster, and Captain Falcon on there and you would see those things flying off the shelf! Especially if Nintendo Land were bundled with every console, which it will be by this holiday season.
How about putting a playable damn game in the kiosks that are so freely strewn about?!
That would be a marketing move of, well, normality. Instead of the Wii U kiosks that only have videos of ports of games from last year! Every Wii kiosk had a brand new playable game in it and it drew people in to try the thing out. Every Wii U kiosk has nothing to show but “gameplay videos”, how is watching something and not playing it really going to convince people that this thing is worth it?? I have a Wii U and I think the console is brilliant in design and gameplay, but if I had no idea what it was and I wandered up on one of the kiosks (that should give me a sampling of what the console can do) and all it had was lame videos of ports from last year or even 2 years ago, well I know I wouldn’t be persuaded to purchase one.
@Unitdth..Excellent point! I’ve been wondering the same thing. Looking at gameplay videos isn’t going to help sell the Wii U. However, being able to PLAY some demos will.
I remember the first Wii kiosk I saw had Wii sports demo in it and people were crowded around it… Why has it taken them so long to realize these things this time around?
My 1st post on this site via PC since the other day…I dislike the new layout and look…Just eww. Its like how everytime youtube gets an update it gets worse lol. As for the article. Yah Nitendo goofed up. But again we all repeat ourselfs once the BIG games start coming out then Nintendo will advertise like crazy. Starting with their Nintendo Directs at E3.
With Satoru Iwata becoming CEO of Nintendo of America, I’m sure this is one of the issues he will prioritise.
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Here’s the thing they’re not going to be able to market the Xbox 720 because Microsoft hasn’t been able to market any of there new products well in nearly ten years.
Same applies for the Play Station 4 because it doesn’t seem to change much.
It’s news like this that makes me not wanna come to this site. Yet I come to the site because it has more news than where I regularly check my news.
And Marketing 101 is for the greenhorn baby business people. For a successful company like Nintendo, they don’t need to learn Marketing 101 all over again.
Then why does their Wii U marketing suck so bad?